Mayor-elect Jean Stothert said Tuesday that cutting the latest recruit class is a possibility because the Omaha Fire Department is millions of dollars over budget this year.

"If we're talking about reducing costs and keeping us within budget -- and our budget must be balanced -- we have to look at everything," said Stothert.

Stothert is referring to OFD's multi-million dollar budget shortfall, which was a hot topic during the May election.

Stothert is suggesting that the department's new recruit class of 47 firefighters who started early in the year.

"The shortfall they're predicting for this year is primarily due to the hiring of those extra 47 firefighters, so this is something we must evaluate," said Stothert.

But the mayor-elect said cutting the recruit class is just an idea and nothing is set in stone.

"We are not going to compromise public safety," said Stothert.

In a statement, OFD officials noted their department was under budget in nonpersonnel costs in the last two years, saying, "98 percent of the Omaha Fire Department's budget is directly or indirectly mandated by the fire union contract. We are always looking at cost savings without reducing public safety."

The firefighters union said that eliminating the new recruit class would violate the new union contract.

In a statement, the union said "We don't feel it's in the interest of the taxpayers or public safety to start off by violating our contract," and that cutting the class would "make no fiscal sense and would create an additional burden on the society.

Stothert will take office Monday, but the transition is already underway. The mayor-elect will meet with most department heads Wednesday, and she said some of them will go.

“We will either be asking some people to stay on as interim while we continue our search or some of our directors are doing a very good job and will be asked to stay, but I think it will all be based on their performance,” said Stothert.

Planning director Rick Cunningham and Human Resources director Dick O'Gara announced last week that they are resigning.

HALL TONIGHT-- DOZENS OF áNEW OMAHA FIREFIGHTERS áCOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS. MAYOR ELECT-JEAN STOTHERT SAYS CUTTING THE LATEST RECRUIT CLASS IS A áPOSSIBILITY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVERBUDGET THIS YEAR. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S TODD ANDREWS HAS THIS NEW STORY TONIGHT. INSIDE CITY HALL ..MAYOR- ELECT JEAN STOTHERT WINDS DOWN HER CITY COUNCIL CAREER..AND WINDS UP..TALK ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S FUTURE..UNDER HER ADMINISTRATION( Mayor-Elect Jean Stothert / Omaha: " If we're talking about reducing costs and keeping us within budget -- and our budget must be balanced -- we have to look at everything " ) SHE REFERS TO O-F-D'S MULTI- MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET SHORTFALL--A HOT TOPIC DURING THE MAY ELECTION NOW..STOTHERT SUGGESTS THE DEPARTMENT'S NEW RECRUIT CLASS--OF 47 ROOKIE FIREFIGHTERS WHO STARTED EARLIER THIS YEAR--SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE..AS A POTENTIAL WAY TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET( Stothert: " The shortfall they're predicting for this year -- " )( Stothert: " -- is primarily due to the hiring of those extra 47 firefighters -- so this is something we must evaluate " )( TODD ANDREWS / Reporting: " STOTHERT STRESSES THAT CUTTING THE RECRUIT CLASS IS JUST AN IDEA--NOTHING IS SET IN STONE--AND SHE INSISTS " )( Stothert: " We are not going to compromise public safety " ) O-F-D OFFICIALS NOTE THEIR DEPARTMENT WAS UNDER BUDGET IN NON-PERSONNEL COSTS THE LAST 2 YEARS, ADDING, QUOTE: "98% of the Omaha Fire Department's budget is directly or indirectly mandated by the fire union contract. We are always looking at cost savings without reducing public safety." THE UNION ALSO RESPONDED, SAYING THAT ELIMINATING THE NEW RECRUIT CLASS WOULD VIOLATE THE NEW UNION CONTRACT. QUOTE: "We don't feel it's in the interest of the taxpayers or public safety to start off by violating our contract." AND THAT CUTTING THE CLASS WOULD QUOTE--"make no fiscal sense and would create an additional burden on the city." TODD ANDREWS, KETV NW7. STOTHERT TAKES OFFICE MONDAY.. BUT THE TRANSITION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. SHE'LL MEET WITH MOST DEPARTMENT HEADS TOMORROW... AND SHE SAYS SOME OF THEM WILL GO.( " We will either be asking some people to stay on as interim while we continue our search...or, some of our directors are doing a very good job and will be asked to stay -- but I think it will all be based on their performance " ) AT LEAST TWO LEADERS ALREADY RESIGNED. PLANNING DIRECTOR RICK CUNNINGHAM... AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR DICK' O'GARA. THEY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS LAST WEEK.

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